Rev. C. Michael Rhoades The bells tolled 70 times at St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church early Sunday, February 12, marking the death of Reverend Father Charles Michael Rhoades, 61, who has been the parish priest in St. Ignace and at Immaculate Conception Church in Moran since 1991. He died in Englewood Community Hospital in Englewood, Florida, while on a vacation and following a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer. The bells rang nine times to signify mourning and 61 times to represent Father Rhoades’ age.

He was born March 4, 1944, in Mt. Pleasant to Freida (nee Brondstetter) and Charles Patrick Rhoades.

Father Rhoades was ordained a priest September 20, 1970, at St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church by Bishop Charles Salatka, Bishop of Marquette. He delivered his first homily 35 years ago in Moran. He also served in Sault Ste. Marie for nine years before coming to St. Ignace.

His terminal illness forced Father Rhoades to retire Sunday, November 6, 2005. He gave the homily that day and told more than 300 parishioners in attendance that the primary goal of life is to develop an intimate communion with God.

His good friend, Father Jim Williams, who was in attendance when Father Rhoades was ordained, now serves as the priest for both the St. Ignace and Moran parishes.

Father Rhoades continued after retirement to remain active in the church, meeting with parishioners and reflecting on his illness in the weekly church bulletins.

Most Reverend Alexander K. Sample, Bishop of Marquette, told The St. Ignace News Monday, February 13, “As Father Rhoades faced his illness and approaching death, he shared his spiritual journey with his friends and with his parishioners through his bulletin articles, and that brought great comfort and consolation to those who knew and loved him.”

He added, “We are always very saddened when we lose one of our priests from our diocese, especially when it is such an untimely death. His brother priests in the diocese will miss him very much.”

Father Norbert Landreville of St. Ignace, who is the retired pastor of both the St. Ignace and Moran parishes, was a good friend of Father Rhoades. The two men were sailing partners, said Father Landreville. He also was the pastor of the Moran church when Father Rhoades gave his first homily.

“Not only was he a priest here, he grew up here,” said Father Landreville. “Father Rhoades was a brilliant guy with a good sense of humor. He always loved the water and being near it. He loved this area.”

Father Landreville said he admired Father Rhoades’ strength after he learned he had a short time left to live. He noted Father Rhoades had planned to travel around the county in a motor home.

“It was very difficult, he had so many plans,” he said.

“His faith just seemed to give a whole new meaning to what he was going through,” reflected Father Landreville.

In a homily given Sunday, March 13, 2005, shortly after learning he had terminal cancer, Father Rhoades said, “Some authors and I like this image say that what God has done is change losses, and finally physical death itself, from exits into doorways, into something greater, something more, and finally into eternal life.”

“I was proud to serve under him,” said Deacon Don Olmstead of the St. Ignatius parish. “He was inspirational in getting me into my vocation as a deacon.”

Father Rhoades loved boating and sailing on Lake Michigan and completing projects like the building of his camp near Seul Choix Point in Gulliver. He owned and enjoyed working with heavy equipment like his bulldozer, backhoe, tractor, and dump truck.

One of Father Rhoades’ fondest memories was using the equipment to build a 1.5 mile road through the woods with his father at Camp Mon Choix.

He studied at St. Lawrence Seminary in Mt. Calvary, Wisconsin, St. John’s Provincial Seminary in Plymouth, and St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Detroit.

His assignments included associate pastor of Holy Name of Mary Parish, Sault Ste. Marie and St. Joseph Parish, Sault Ste. Marie. He was pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Detour; Mission of St. Florence, Drummond Island; St. John the Baptist Parish, Garden; Nativity Parish, Sault Ste. Marie; and Mission of St. Peter, Fayette. He was a co-pastor at St. Francis de Sales Parish, Manistique; Mission of Divine Infant of Prague, Gulliver. He was chaplain of the Catholic Student Center at Lake Superior State College, Sault Ste. Marie and parochial administrator of St. Francis Xavier Mission, Brimley.

He is survived by his father, Charles Rhoades of St. Ignace; his sister, Mary Margaret Rhoades of Madison, Wisconsin; a friend, Laurine Kelly, his boyhood friend, Billy LaRocque, and his dog, Ruba.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Freida, in 1970, and her service was his first funeral mass. He also was preceded in death by his stepmother, Margaret Rhoades, in 2003, and an aunt, Georgia “Jeddie” Rhoades, in 2003.

Memorials may be made to St. Ignace Habitat for Humanity.

Visitation will be Sunday afternoon from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church. Mass of Christian Burial will be Monday, February 20, at noon at the church. Bishop Sample will be the principal celebrant and Father Williams will preach the homily.

Burial will be in the spring at the St. Ignatius Cemetery.

Dodson Funeral Home of St. Ignace is handling the arrangements.